Refill cooling water in the car - how it works

If your car loses cooling water or the level is simply too low, you can refill the liquid yourself. We'll show you how it's done.

Auto: Top up coolant

You can get the coolant online as well as at many petrol stations and in workshops. You also need clear water. Distilled water is optimal, but not absolutely necessary.

• Open the bonnet, you will usually find the coolant tank on the left. This is roughly the size of a handball.
• You will usually find an inscription such as "G12" on the container. Your coolant should have the same mark. Important: Only fill the container between the "Min" and "Max" area.
• Unscrew the lid and add approximately the same amount of coolant and water. Caution: Only open the container when the engine is cold. When the engine is warm, dangerous pressure builds up in the tank.

This is how the liquid cools the engine

A lot of heat is generated when the gasoline is burned in the engine. The metal must be cooled so that the engine does not overheat. The engine is cooled using water, which also runs through the engine. If the water flows through the engine, it absorbs heat. The water in the cooler then loses temperature and then flows through the engine again to absorb and remove heat again.

What is coolant made of?

The coolant usually consists of distilled water. To prevent the coolant from freezing in winter, an anti-freeze is added. This frost protection also ensures that the coolant is colored blue or red. Some of the antifreeze agents also contain other additives to prevent the formation of rust.

Refill coolant: is there enough water from the tap?

Under no circumstances should you fill your coolant with tap water. Depending on the region, there is more or less lime in the tap water, which attacks the seals over time. This can lead to expensive repairs. Therefore always use distilled water; this no longer contains any minerals. You can get distilled water both in the drugstore, at the petrol station and in many supermarkets.